MetroPCS Falls in User Satisfaction Rankings

Posted by: Olga Kharif on July 30, 2009

Of all prepaid wireless services out there, consumers are least satisfied with MetroPCS’s, according to a new survey from J.D. Power & Associates. Last year, MetroPCS placed first among all U.S. prepaid carriers in user satisfaction.

Released on July 30, the survey of 4,229 Americans found that consumers were most satisfied with Net10, Tracfone and Boost Mobile. Net10, which made the rankings for the first time this year and is a service provided by Tracfone, was praised for simplicity of its plans. The company charges 10 cents a minute for all calls. The survey tallied customer satisfaction based on factors such as performance, reliability and cost of service.

So, why has MetroPCS slid down user satisfaction rankings? If you are a customer of MetroPCs, please tell us about your experience with the service.

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Reader Comments

mohammed

July 30, 2009 10:36 PM

very bad services. and they lied about the services.

Sarah Rank

July 31, 2009 06:05 AM

Unfortunatly it would seem that being competitive is the only way to go.
Perhaps the article will bring some light into the market and help the wallet of the consumer.
Net10 have got the lead for that exact reason. While service is increadibly important, great deals and low prices showen by the leaders speak louder than words.

Robert Harrision

July 31, 2009 07:54 AM

I was ready to leave Metro and go to Verizon. When Metro started selling BlackBerry for $50 per month, I could not believe it. I love Metro and bought the Curve. Each time I called their customer service at *228 they said they did not sell BlackBerry and they hung up on me. THEY DESERVE TO BE RATED LAST, THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE ARE VERY BAD.

Sabrina

July 31, 2009 01:02 PM

And of all the services I've had in the past - AT&T, Sprint and Verizon - I'm most happy with Net10's uncomplicated, reliable and not least of all, affordable service. What you didn't mention in your article is that Net10 offers international calling for the same price as a local call - 10 cents a minute. For people like me who have family and friends abroad that's a big bonus.

dan

July 31, 2009 04:40 PM

Well the only problem i have with metro is its horrible phones that break way to easily. i'd love to have an iphone on metro that would be heavan

Josh Coy

August 2, 2009 08:14 AM

i am currently a metropcs customer at the moment and i have to say that i find their service pretty decent. i dont really have any ideas for why their satisfaction ratings would drop except that people might find their selection of phones to be kind of low and dissappointing and that they should extend their coverage areas fairly quick. im not saying that that would be an easy task, but many people hate their coverage areas because i know i do. i went up north to south branch, MI for a weekend and i had no reception on my phone at all. i actually only live maybe an hour or two away from south branch down in brighton. i also am sort of dissappointed with their phone selection as i mentioned earlier because they have such a low number of phones to select from and that they have a low quality of phones to select from. they have hardly any touch screen phones at all maybe only one, and people dont want to pay $350 for any newer touchscreen phone that comes into their market. their price range for their phones is also ridiculously high but i can understand that since they are a no contract phone provider. if anything, they could lower the prices of their newer phones by $50 like they did with the blackberry curve. that smartphone was originally $449 but they lowered it to $399. i do not know the reason for this, but all i know is that i checked their websote one day and knoticed that their blackberry was dropped in price by $50. i believe that if metropcs wants to get their company booming again, they need to do 3 things:

1) get a newer selection of more popular phones such as an LG or the palm pre even out of my opinion.

2) extend their coverage areas to statewide.

3) lower the prices of their phones just enough to where it meets the standards of a no contract phone and to where people are willing to buy the phone without complaints of pricing.

i believe that once metropcs does this, then their company will be much more popular than it is now. now im just saying this out of my opinion so dont give me any complaints about that. but if metropcs is willing to do the 3 things i listed above, they should do it ASAP!

Michael

August 3, 2009 07:46 PM

They lied on their website about their coverage area. I went on their website and typed in my address and their coverage page said I was in a "good" coverage area. When I got the phone home, I had two bars of signal, but when I tried to call out, the phone lost the signal. Went back to the store, got another phone, same thing. The store rep tried to help, and even loaned me his phone, but none of them worked. Don't believe they cover your area unless you know someone personally who has a working signal in your area. Their website is totally misleading and I will not use this service again. Ever.

Donna

August 4, 2009 09:44 AM

MetroPcs sells most of the phones on the market today, but they disable some of the basic features. I have $80 a month family plan and my bill is 110 per month and they cannot explain to me why the fees and taxes are so excessive. The call in customer service is the worst in the world. You must pay to see your bill. My name is spelled wrong on the account which shows up on caller id's and I have tried to have this rectified for four months. I finally gave up because I cant take the stress. I decided to go back to tmobile.

Sue

August 5, 2009 10:18 AM

I find that I don't get all the texts that I know were sent to me. My mother lives abroad and I haven't received one text she sent me. There have been other cases where my husband or friends sent texts and I never got them. Am strongly thinking about switching to a different company.

Abby Oteh

August 5, 2009 06:26 PM

METRO PCS customer service is very poor! I have a family plan with metro pcs since June the 13th and every month I received text message to pay a different amount, that increases while my service plan did not change. I have not being able to speak to anyone at their store or customer service number.

Mandy

August 6, 2009 10:40 AM

MetroPCS just doesn't have the coverage that I need, their unlimited plan may be the cheapest but it's just not worth it when Straight Talk has such a good offer on such a good network. I bought the Straight Talk unlimited plan for $45 per per month and it is great.

Peter

August 6, 2009 05:47 PM

MetroPCS customer service is probably the worst I have ever dealt with. You only have to check the comments above to realize why they are last in the rankings.
I switched from Metro to NET10 and I can tell you it's no bull that NET10 deserves to get the best ranking. They have really great coverage, a good selection of phones and a very simple approach which works very well. Always 10c a minute, anywhere, no roaming costs, anytime. No bills, no hidden charges.

chupa

August 9, 2009 03:47 PM

I have nothing but praise for metro PCS as a non complicated no contract service.Its great for us illegals and drug runners

Enzo

August 9, 2009 06:01 PM

I'm happy with my Metro PCS BlackBerry 8330. C'mon, where can you get unlimited EVERYTHING for $50/month? You guys keep on paying $100 to $150 to AT&T to have 450 minutes, 100 text, and dropped calls. Pfff! I text, IM, surf, and talk until I drop for $50/month, with a BlackBerry 8330! What good does it do when you have an iPhone but have to ration usage more than a Obama's socialist program? You can't use the iPhone to the fullest otherwise you'll end up with a $400 bill. No thanks, I rather invest the savings and not make AT&T and Apple richer. Regarding coverage, it covers the main cities I visit. If you're a farmer in Kentucky, this plan isn't for you. Oh and have I said NO GESTAPO CONTRACTS?

Rob Hurley

August 11, 2009 08:37 PM

They also lie about their price. They advertise for $40, but end up charging $47 - 50 for their basic service.

jhemraja

August 11, 2009 08:48 PM

Before I purchased MetroPCS, I read all these negative things about MetroPCS and I thought that these people must be crazy or picky. How can you go wrong with an Unlimited Everything plan for less than $50 per month? Well, I've learned the hard way that you can go wrong. If you rely on your cell phone for work, business, emergencies, etc, I would strongly advice against MetroPCS.

# 1: Their taxes are 25% of the cell phone bill. They charge MUCH MORE IN TAXES AND FEES than any other cell phone provider. I've had everything from AT&T to Verizon to T-Mobile to Sprint. I wouldn't be surprised if they are pocketing some of the fees.

# 2: Their customer service is absolutely horrid. If you ever had to deal with MCI Worldcom back in the day, and had billing issues with MCI Worldcom, then MetroPCS customer service is ten times worse than MCI Worldcom customer service. If you have an issue with your service or your bill, it is almost impossible to rectify any customer service or billing issue unless you send an actual snail mail letter to Corporate headquarters because they don't accept email and their toll free customer service staff is not empowered to fix any customer service or billing issues.

# 3: Their billing system spontaneously keeps changing the amount that's due so even if you are fully paid off till the next billing cycle, there is always the small chance that your phone will shut off because they decided at the last minute to add a a few cents to your last months bill. And I'm not joking. They will shut off your service for just a few cents.

# 4: Their technical support department is NON-EXISTENT. If you have a technical issue with a phone, they will refer you to a MetroPCS store. But the people who work at MetroPCS stores have ZERO training. I am not joking. So naturally, the employees at the MetroPCS store will refer you to customer service. So if you read the reviews carefully, most people with technical issues simply are forced to cancel their lines due to simple technical issues that can be resolved by MetroPCS but aren't being resolved by MetroPCS.

I consider myself pretty smart when it comes to these things to I am still in shock that in the 21st century in the United States of America, a company such as MetroPCS exists. It is terrible what they are doing. If I was an investor, I would not invest in MetroPCS solely due to the terrible customer service and inaccurate billing. If a company can't even take care of its customers and bill them properly, do you really think that company has the ability to continue growing?

BladesB

August 12, 2009 12:27 PM

I'm not a heavy cell phone user and was previously with Metro, which meant I was paying for unused min. every month. Made the switch to Net10, love the simple 10c/5c plan and am now only paying for what I actually use. And the coverage is great. So far, no complaints :)

kim the great

August 12, 2009 09:45 PM

METRO PCS LIES ABOUT THERE PLANS THEY CHARGE YOU TO GO INTO THERE STORE AND PAY UR BILL. THE PRICE IS GREAT THE BILLING CYCLE AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS!!!

Beth

August 14, 2009 05:34 PM

I concur with everybody regarding their poor customer service. I just tried to get some help with my bill, and all I got was a bureaucrat who did nothing. And when I asked for the number to their corporate headquarters, they claimed they did not have it and that no supervisors were available. I will be changing providers immediately. What a waste of my time and money!

Fred

August 14, 2009 06:29 PM

This company has a great idea and a great price point but there customer service is so PATHETIC that they will not/can not survive in this competitive market place.

Simply put it is impossible to speak to someone to get any service with a problem. and i mean impossible. i am not sure where there call center is located but it is evident it is both offshore and cheap.

The representatives have no idea what to do. You can sense their frustration and their obvious poor training.

They do what other cheap call centers do. THEY JUST LIE.

There is no way this company will survive. Their earnings are way off. Not sure what their burn rate is but they will be long gone in 12-18 months.

I think this is probably the best stock out there to sell short.

John Santovar

August 16, 2009 08:26 PM

The worst service I have see in my whole life. Unlimited Phone Calling is probably the worst of all. Do sign up with this people.

jeff

August 17, 2009 10:29 AM

This is the worst company cannot get in touch with a real person. they charge you extra money after you have paid your bill and i get dropped calls all the time.
Plus you cannot talk in certain places and buildings. I wish there was another company out there with unlimited calling i would go with them

Mark

August 17, 2009 02:55 PM

if you base your satisfaction on cost only well then yes metro is going to start falling in the ranks. cell phone towers cost millions of dollars to build even if you are joining with another carrier on one and metro is starting to get large enough that they are going to need to charge more to recoop the expantion costs. but the good side is that the service has gotten noticably better in my area where they used to be horrible. so you cant compare them with net10 or track phone who are "virtual carriers" who buy usage from other carriers in certain areas but its all about coverage which is why Verizon Wireless is the number one carrier even though they are far from the cheapest. you get what you pay for plain and simple

Mark

August 17, 2009 02:55 PM

if you base your satisfaction on cost only well then yes metro is going to start falling in the ranks. cell phone towers cost millions of dollars to build even if you are joining with another carrier on one and metro is starting to get large enough that they are going to need to charge more to recoop the expantion costs. but the good side is that the service has gotten noticably better in my area where they used to be horrible. so you cant compare them with net10 or track phone who are "virtual carriers" who buy usage from other carriers in certain areas but its all about coverage which is why Verizon Wireless is the number one carrier even though they are far from the cheapest. you get what you pay for plain and simple

Michael

August 18, 2009 11:40 PM

Seriously, you can't believe how bad the customer service and tech support are. You may think everyone is just exaggerating, but it is unbelievable. Anyone who doubts how awful it is (it's the worst I've ever experienced from any company in my life), please, I beg you, move to MetroPCS and try it. Then you'll know.

It's really a shame because the phones and the covergae are pretty good. And the price is great. And I can't tell you how relieved I am to be free of my AT&T contract. But I'm within my first 30 days at MetroPCS and I will probably bail for a 2-year contract somewhere else. I need to know that there is someone somewhere in the company who is able to help with a problem. At MetroPCS, that's just not true.

Gary

August 21, 2009 01:16 AM

I have been using MetroPCS for 2 Years now. Before I switched to MetroPCS I had Sprint. If you want to talk about terrible customer service they were the pits. I had to literally cuss them out every month, because somehow I always had either gone over my minutes or used the web which I never did. So, after they strong armed me into paying the $150.00 bill 15 minutes later they would credit it back to my account. Not give me a refund but a credit. I left Sprint and went to MetroPCS. What people need to understand about MetroPCS is that they are a new telecom company and they are rolling out their own network. I think they are currently having growing pains and for the value that I receive I wouldn't go anywhere else. If you don't like the service right now switch, you can always come back.

Augustine

August 21, 2009 07:45 PM

I believe it! Metro and Verizon are both unsatisfactory. I have been on both and have recently switched to Tracfone because they have better services to offer and a better network. I heard about this plan that they are offering called Straight Talk. It is a plan that offers unlimited minutes and texting for only $45! They are on a nationwide company and really have great service anywhere.

Eric DeWitt

August 21, 2009 10:11 PM

The only reason I am a Metro PCS customer is because of how cheap they are compared to the other cell phone companies. I have been dissatisfied with metro PCS for the last two weeks. The employees seem like they are uneducated and unprofessional. I feel like I'm waiting in line at the county office for some government cheese when I'm on hold. From the beginning to the end, their coverage absolutely sucks to the enth degree. I had to call my local police department last week and the call dropped 6 times, before I gave up. They are absolutely raking in millions of dollars a year and providing a mediocre solution for a person with their horible, horrible coverage. I am not stupid. But I question my common sense when it comes to paying my "Get-ro"PCS bill every month. They won't fix the problem, and treat the customers with attitude, and still won't fix the origonal problem. OK too much ranting, AT&T here I come!!!

StraightTalkMe

September 10, 2009 09:42 AM

The service issue is one thing(appalling!) but the other factor with MetroPCS is its coverage (also appalling!)

They have their own towers and network so if you happen to be near one, cool. Big cities, certain neighborhoods... lots of variables.

So even if you think you're getting a good deal, if the coverage is bad, does it mattter what you're paying?

Straight Talk is a service that runs on Verizon's network... which is considered to be America's most reliable.

There are two plans. The first, All You Need, is $30 for 30 days with 1,000 nationwide anytime minutes, 1,000 texts and 30MB of data (around 350 web pages). You buy airtime that's good for 30 days. When you run out, you buy more.

The second plan, Unlimited, is $45 for 30 days of unlimited talk and text. They're simple plans with no hidden fees. And ptrepaid, so you never get a bill -- or are overcgarged.

JeanJAnet

September 12, 2009 04:34 PM

I have had my service with MetroPcs for the past 4 years, and I have had a few billing problems but I was always able to resolve them. Until, September 2, right after midnight the day my payment was due. I paid my MetroPcs bill over the telephone to Bill Matrix, (MetroPcs' payment service provider). I completed the payment using my Bank Visa card, and received a confirmation number. I have paid my bill using this same system for many years, however, this time MetroPcs system will not recognize that I have made a payment. Bill Matrix customer service representative have called twice to verify my payment being made through their system and that the confirmation number given is correct, and also that the payment was apply to the correct telephone number. My bank have also taken the money out of my account. Well, to this day, non of my payment verifications have helped to verify that my payment was indeed paid on the 2nd day of this month. I have contacted MetroPcs customer service representative four times and each time they gave me an OBI case number, and each time they returned service, but the next day the service was off again for non-payment. I called their customer service number for Bill Matrix but they will not be available until Monday which leaves me without service for the entire weekend. I am really just tired of dealing with this problem which should be very easy to solve. I have also said that the people who use other cellphone providers are crazy to not use Metro until this month. The stress is so intense because you are forced to keep calling thier customer service representatives who cannot fix the problem.
I have never thought about leaving MetroPcs until today.

John

October 5, 2009 06:36 PM

I live in Florida, we're on a family plan with 4 phones. I'm very happy with Metro PCS, the phone selection is limited but acceptable. CANNOT beat their prices, and the coverage is very good in my area. Customer service has been good.

kaysmith

October 8, 2009 11:38 AM

I like my service with Metropcs. you need to know what options you have. There are ways to pay your bill without paying a service fee, online account access and answers to my questions. Its really a good price and no problems for me.

MONA

October 22, 2009 11:05 AM

METROPCS IS THE WORST EVERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeremy

October 26, 2009 07:38 PM

This company can go down where satan can handle them.. This place is the biggest rip off/scamm.... Well anyways i wil tell you my expriance today..

Here it goes.....

Well i went today to return my phone which i was not satisfied with.. So i tell him the situation and he was like "well whe you return we take $25 out of what you paid for it and we send you a check within 14 days" Im like what?!?! Thats ridiculous i had the cash in full no problem and even though it was only $25 i worked for that money getting paid not so much..But he does not know that...But that is besides the point he should be welcoming considering he WAS a MANAGER!.. so i was like that is stupid how you scamm us people out of our money and he calls me a Jacka*s so thats when hell broke loose.. I told him to grow up and be a man and learn how to run a buissness without being rude and using foul language.. and he threatned security on me..(it was in the mall) and i told him to do it im ot scared i was like you must be the one who is the scared one here because you have to call security on me..Im not even big man..Im 5"11 and weigh 135 pounds.. anyways i get my reciept back and he says i paid witha credit card and he is giving me a credit card refund..I DONT EVEN OWN CREDIT CARD!This guy needs to either learn how to run a buissness or get off of the drugs.. and he told me he was calling the main metro pcs on me for being rude.. LIKE I CARE IF I GET REPORTED I DO NOT EVEN WORK FOR THEM.. I told the guy i will report him... so i left and came back and askedfor his ID number and he would not give it up..and he has to give that out by company policies..So i hope i get this guy fired and he lives on the streets..Grant it im not usually mean but thi guy really pushed my limit and i will speak my mind.. I so wanted to punch this guy but jail is no fun so i held back..

So if you ever hear of a man named mike welch do not deal with that loser i hope he trips over and lands on his he to knock sense into him

Thank you to all that had read my story

Deborah

October 30, 2009 02:55 PM

Their customer service SUCKS!!It is almost impossible to get through to customer service. When you do they say they will resolve the problem but it never is resolved. You end up calling several times to resolve any problem. My son's phone broke under warranty about 4 months after we bought it. We had to travel 30 miles for a replacement. We ended up going back THREE times because first the nincompoop in customer service said it was the battery. She also claimed they didn't have a working battery in the store to check it. So we bought a new battery. The problem continued with the phone not holding a charge. We drove back there again and got, not a new phone but a RECONDITIONED one which surprised me. Anyhow that phone had another set of problems. We had to go back a third time. At this time the idiot behind the desk said that she could not transfer my son's contacts and call information. She said we would have to pay $5 to get it done. I refused to (which pissed my son off).I told her that she was just too damn lazy to do it and that was all!! Mind you this was the service we received after THREE trips to replace a phone bought new four months before. Every time we went in, the wait to see someone was at least a half hour as it is always crowded.
To top this all of when we are in the house we have no service. We have to go outside to use the phone. I am only keeping the phone because of the unlimited text (which my son likes) and to use up my investment in the original cost of the phones. Right now my voicemail does not work. I called them two days ago to fix it. It still does not work. Something needs to be done about the crappy customer service at metro pcs. Next time either phone breaks I am done. Meanwhile I am looking around for a new cell phone provider.

Bonnie

October 31, 2009 06:36 AM

I purchased a phone on October 24. I paid $80.00 for what I was told was a new phone. It was boxed like new. Later I found out that the woman sold me a used phone when the next day I received a text saying if I didn't pay my overdue balance my service would be shut off. Well, it was and she later admitted it was used.Three days later, i began having problems with it-dropping calls, ringing while i was talking, etc. They will not replace or repair it, and I had purchased insurance for it. They said I had to bring it to Providence RI and it would cost me ANOTHER $40.00 I was unable to reach headquarters with this-they are hiding from all these issues. I got nowhere with customer service-just kept saying sorry mam. Now I have a used phone that I paid new price for, it doesn't work right, and they expect me to pay for this month when I used it for only 2 days for them to fix it for me. They are ripoff artists in my opinion. Very disappointed with them.

Corey Anders

October 31, 2009 05:27 PM

Metro is crap. I've had blocks and blocks of dead zones with no signal. Tha;s unacceptable.

I heard about Straight Talk on the Verizon network and tried it.

It's like night and day!

Great signal. no dropped calls and a great price.

Brett ROak

November 6, 2009 11:35 PM

Okay, I had T-mobile for 4 years. My bill was never the same, had a bunch of crazy mystery charges on it, etc. I hated being locked into a contract too.

MetroPCS is exactly what I need, and I like it. I may not get signal when I go visit my parents on the farm, but I could really give a shit since I am leaving to VISIS THEM and I'm not some needy bitch that needs to check my phone every 2 seconds. Secondly, I don't care if I have to pay $200 for the new Messager II; I can check my email, sports scores, have unltd. text and talk, plus unltd. 411 AND insurance, and my bill is only $57 a month. Noone lied to me about my plan or anything else, and my bill is the SAME every month.

I will say, their phone-in customer service blows. If you want anything done, go to an actual MetroPCS store and get it done (not just an authorized dealer). If you're in Royal Oak, go to the guys over on 11 mile, just about 2 blocks east of main street. They helped me out a lot, AND found out that my plan was outdated, so I was paying too much. They saved me almost 20 a month. Funny thing is, Unlimited everything plus insurance on another carrier still would have been well over $100 instead of $70.

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BusinessWeek writers Peter Burrows, Cliff Edwards, Olga Kharif, Aaron Ricadela, Douglas MacMillan, and Spencer Ante dig behind the headlines to analyze what’s really happening throughout the world of technology. One of the first mainstream media tech blogs, Tech Beat covers everything from tech bellwethers like Apple, Google, and Intel and emerging new leaders such as Facebook to new technologies, trends, and controversies.